It started getting closer to me, or was I getting closer to it? Perhaps it was neither, and that dot was expanding in size.
Soon, the dot grew larger and larger, and I realized in a few seconds, or perhaps hours? That I was getting closer to it.
Just as I realized that the white dot was actually a tunnel opening, I passed through it, or rather, I was pulled through it.
"Ouch!" I groaned as I fell on my butt, yes fell.
Here in this white place, I could see, speak, and feel my body. There was ground, although everything here was white, like in those reincarnation novels I had read in the past.
I stood up as I rubbed my bum with a pained expression on my face, trying to make sense of whatever was happening, and then a realization hit me like a sucker punch.
"Wait…" I murmured with a dazed expression.
"Wait wait wait, Wait just a damn second!"
"Did I die again?! How?! When?!"
While I was trying to get a grip on myself, a familiar voice greeted me.
"You didn't die, Ryan."
"No way, you–"
"Yup, it's me, Ryan. Nice to finally meet the tenant in my body."
Yes, it was Ryan, not me, but the owner of this body.
He was right there, a 1.4 m (4'9" feet) tall boy with silver hair and ocean blue eyes, standing with his hands behind his back, like a spectator enjoying the show.
Wait, I am in my own body now, I thought as I inspected myself by patting myself in all the places.
I was — or used to be — in my middle twenties, 1.81 m (6'1" feet) man with black hair, brown eyes and not so outstanding features.
Talk about a twist, I mused to myself with a nostalgic smile.
"Done settling yourself?" Ryan asked with a smile.
Let's call him Ryan-number-two for now.
"What do you mean?" I was genuinely curious. "You mean, like, in this world?"
"No. Here, in this place," he said, pointing at the white, hard, ground as if it were the most known fact.
Why is he looking at me like that? Due to some reason, the way he looked at me was unsettling.
"Don't tell me you plan to live in MY body forever."
That is one concerning question alright.
"Um… But you already died… right?"
As far as I knew from his memories, that Obsidian Serpent's attack should have killed him, but Dad saved him.
"Are you insane or something? As you can see, I am here in our soul space and fit as a fiddle."
I definitely didn't miss the use of 'our' instead of 'my', whatever soul space meant.
"I can see that…. So, let me get this straight, you want me to leave this body's control to you and live in this space, am I correct?"
"So you are not as stupid as you seem, yes that is precisely what I want you to do, and just so you know like you saw my memories-"
"You saw mine," I cut him off coldly, to which he again smiled.
People's memories were their most private possessions, after all, whether the best ones or the worst ones.
"You can live one more day as you have spent the last couple of days, after which, you will come here again and switch places with me," he said as he waved his hand in a 'see ya' manner.
"No, wait!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I threw my hand at him, but the surrounding scenery morphed again and darkness dominated everything.
–
–
–
"No, wait!" I screamed at the top of my lungs in order to stop him.
Not finding the young boy in my line of sight only added to my frustration, almost panicking me.
Almost.
Soon I realized that I was back in the bed in my house, in Silver Moon.
As I wondered if it had all been a bad dream, I felt a light touch on my forehead.
"Did you have a bad dream, dear?" Mom's concern-filled voice reached my ears, from next to the bed.
"I hope it was, mum." I replied, with a reassuring smile, as I got out of the bed.
"That's good then. Breakfast is ready, so eat it before it gets any colder."
"Are you going somewhere, Mum?"
"Yes, I need to get some groceries and stuff," she replied.
"Take care," I waved with a smile.
"You too."
—Click
And she's off.
What was that all about, Codex? I know you know something.
[From your reactions, it seems that you failed to convince him.] Codex replied.
So that really was you…
[That wasn't me. That was Ryan-number-two.]
I felt like crying at my naming sense.
[Do you want head-pats?]
Are you making fun of me? I shot back as the corners of my lips twitched in order to not open them.
Anyway, let's think of something else for now.
Troubled, I looked for distractions.
"Mhmm… Ah!"
Right, how could I forget that?
"Codex, let's resume where we left off. Pull up everything related to the memories I have on Baptism, Heart Engine and Soul Beasts."
[Affirmative.]
[The so called 'Baptism' is just a fancy term assigned to the whole process of building a Heart Engine and binding the soul of a beast to your own.
Heart Engine is the intermediary between you and your Soul Beasts. It also acts as an anchor point for all your Runes as well as is the only way for humans to channel Magic Power.
Lastly, Soul Beasts are the souls of beasts you have tamed or contracted and bound to your soul. Soul Beasts are necessary because humans themselves have no way to wield the power of Magic directly, and need to employ indirect means.]
"Right... I'm no human. Or rather, a hybrid. Can't I use Magic without this Heart Engine, then?" I pointed out.
[I do not know.]
"What do you mean you don't? Is it another one of those 'locked behind Authority wall' things?"
[No, I just do not know. You would not have gotten any information even if you had the highest authority. It is simply because you are the only Half-Spirit that is recorded in the system.]
"That is strange." I muttered.
If I was the only Half-Spirit out there, didn't that mean I would need to experiment about my own biology to find out more about myself? Yikes.
[In any case, I would suggest you start working out in the earnest. You would need all the physical stats you can get to better benefit from the Baptism.]
"Sure, might as well do that. Codex, play 'Thunder' please."
[Affirmative.]
[Music:
Now playing: Thunder
00:01->--------------02:40
(repeat)
End of queue]
By the time half of the song was over, I completed twenty squats and lied down to catch my breath. After a couple deep breaths, I resumed where I left off.
After ten minutes or so of the exercise on repeat, my legs felt as if they would burst on the next sit-up.
Since I could still move my arms fairly comfortably, I shifted to knee push-ups. As doing even a single traditional push-up was beyond the capabilities of my body.
When I felt that I couldn't continue anymore, for fear of overworking the tendons of my arms and my legs giving out, I stopped working out and just stood at the balcony, catching my breath.
I should start morning runs too.